Analysis on an Operation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis on an Operation - Research Paper Example The activities of the operation management mainly range from the strategic, tactical to operational levels. Tactical issues involve the layout of the plant and structure, the selection of equipment and replacement, and the methods of the project management. On the other hand, the operational issues involves the handling of traffic and materials, the equipment maintenance, the quality inspection and control, the inventory management and production scheduling and control. Operation management therefore focuses on the effectiveness and efficiency of the processes. The nature in which it is carried out in an organization depends on the nature of the products or services in the company such as wholesale, retail or manufacture. Shipper manufacturing company has various operational processes that enable efficient production of its products. The operation process entails the type of product or product design, the product process flow, management of quality, supply chain management, project m anagement or operation scheduling, forecasting and the inventory management. Good management of the operation processes contributes to the well performance of the company. It also helps the company to maintain its production supply and increases The Company’s development as a whole. ... The divisions include the material division (MD), Electrical Products Division (EPD), and the Advanced Product Division (APD). These divisions are located in Faribault. Minnesota. The company holds a good position in sales because of the high efficiency levels. In addition, the company has improved growth and is in a good position on productivity. Analysis of the product and product design Shipper manufacturing company manufactures various products. Some of the products manufactured include electrical products, laminated materials and specialty products. Advanced product division (APD), is a division in the company that manufactures the specialty products. Initially, APD manufactured custom products in very low volumes for the consumers. The consumers got very little products that could not satisfy their desires. However, the division plans to increase the volume of production for the multiple customers. Â  The company therefore would require increasing its operational management in order to maintain its competition in the new environment. APD produces specialty products mainly for the custom orders such as helicopter blade liners, and mine stoppers. In addition, shipper manufacturing company produces many aerostats per year which are sold to different communication companies. Furthermore, they are also sold to some foreign countries and the U.S. government mainly for communication purposes. The operation process flow analysis The production flow involves the movement of various items through the production process. Â  The flow structure or the process flow used in production purposes has various impacts on the operation layout, technological decisions, recourses and the methods used in doing the work. The process flow is a very important aspect in Shipper

Business Process Reengineering Essay Example for Free

Business Process Reengineering Essay Whenever we order our drinks at the coffee shops on a daily basis, we are actually triggering a business process. When the waiter at the coffee shop takes the order at our table, he will pass our orders to the kitchen by yelling our orders from one end of the coffee shop to another. Most of the time, the kitchen helper will hear the order and start to prepare. The waiter will then go around taking a few other orders. After he is done with taking orders, he will collect the drinks from the kitchen and serve it to the customers. Customers will then pay up for the drinks. In the event there isn’t enough change for big notes, the waiter will have to go back to the counter to break the notes into smaller variations in order to return the correct amount of change to the customers. In some cases, he might deliver the wrong order as he doesn’t note down the orders in pen and paper, he just passes on the order to the kitchen by shouting. Restaurant scenario Many years down the road, the coffee shop has earned enough to pay for a renovation and overhaul. The boss of the coffee shop has decided to upgrade the coffee shop to a restaurant. He realises that he need to retrain his staff to operate the restaurant as the methods of operating a restaurant differs from the methods of operating the coffee shop. He also realise that he can incorporate some equipment to help him process orders more efficiently. In summary, he needs to change the way the restaurant does things (processes) and how he does things (Method/tools used to carry out the task). The boss has to do a total revamp of the methods and processes of how he was previously used to in the coffee shop. This is what is meant by business process reengineering. In definition, business process is an organizational change in its methods used to redesign an organization to improve efficiency and effectiveness (Mehta, 2011). Reengineering is the organizational change characterized by drastic process transformation. Concepts BPR focus Objectives In order for companies to operate more efficiently, reduce waste, retain their customers and drive sales, understanding and applying BPR is essential for this change to happen. Firstly, we have to map out the organization’s goals, objectives, primary business function, the people they have and the tools they use. The second objective would be to analyse the current process and redesign/revamp them. By doing so, companies will be able to achieve better ROI and eliminate waste. This will help the company to gain competitive advantage over others in its efficiency and also profits (Muharram, 2007). Perspective of BPR BPR is a framework designed for companies to adopt. This framework helps to optimize processes by making it more streamlined. A good example to explain this point would be the difference between a vertical and cross functional organization. Horizontal organization In a horizontal organization, the customer interacts only with one party but in a vertical structure, customers might have to deal with different departments. Figure 3 shows a customer dealing with his account manager for the application of a loan. In the process, the customer does not need to deal with the different departments involved in the application of a loan. This allows the loan application to be more streamlined (Zigiaris, 2000). A vertical structure is not as efficient as customers will have to deal with several departments to process their requests. In a call centre environment, when the customer logs a call for a IT issue, the calling department will answer his call and log the case. He will then be transferred to the technical department who will assist him with 1st level troubleshooting. In the event he cannot solve the problem, the matter will be escalated to a level 2 support and also a product specialist. After his issue has been resolved, he will be transferred to the payment department where he will pay for the IT services he has used. After making payment, he will receive an email from the feedback department where they will ask the customer for feedback for the case. This slows down the entire process of resolving the problem from end to end. One of the main goal in BPR is to optimize the processes that takes place within the organization and reduce lead time. In order to do so, businesses has to look at its processes from a clean state perspective. For a company to be able to streamline their processes, they have to add value to their customers through their processes. Processes should maintain its ability to add value to customers. For those processes that do not, we can automate them and put the focus on adding value. This will result in higher customer satisfaction, better efficiency, elimination of watse and greater ROI(Park, 2008). BPR Methodologies There are several techniques to business process redesign and reengineering. We will discuss a few in this section. Hammer and Champy A major overhaul in the organization’s process and structure is one of the keys to ensuring that cost is lowered and service quality is being improved. The means of implemeting these is via the use of information technology. Besides reorganization and using IT to power the business, redesigning the work process and optimizing it, helps the organization to reduce time taken, lower costs and improve quality (Rouse, 2009). A Case study of Ford Motor Company Ford used to employ 500 accounts payable staff in the past. These 500 staff are running the tasks of tracking faults between purchase orders, receipts and invoices. After Ford decided to reengineer their process, the number of staff needed reduced from 500 to 125. Their reengineering efforts include: * Creating an online database where all purchase orders issued by the buyers are being captured * Goods are being checked when received. The shipment being sent has to match with that in the database. This allows the staff to check if the goods were actual orders being indented. This system of checking eliminates the need to check for faults between purchase orders. * Goods being received will be marked as received and the database is being updated real-time. (Hammer Champy, 2000) Perspective of process reengineering by Hammer and Champy 1. Organize around outcomes, not tasks. 2. Identify all the processes in an organization and prioritize them in order of redesign urgency. 3. Integrate information processing work into the real work that produces the information. 4. Treat geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized. 5. Link parallel activities in the workflow instead of just integrating their results. 6. Put the decision point where the work is performed, and build control into the process. 7. Capture information once and at the source. (Rouse, 2009) The methodology preached by Hammer and Champy clearly reflects what was being discussed in the BPR focus and objectives at the start of this report. Its focus is to eliminate waste and also to focus on deliverables that will add value to customers. In order to do so, IT systems can be employed in order to automate processes which do not add value. This point of automation is being reiterated in the case study of Ford Motors. This concept of rethinking and redesigning the business process radically helps us to improve many areas of the business such as lowering costs, improving customer service, ensure quality is being maintained and speed up the entire workflow.

Apple Inc Stock Analysis :: Essays Papers

Apple Inc stock analysis Apple Computer Inc designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers and related personal computing and communication solutions. The return of Steve Jobs, the companies founder, as CEO has pulled the company’s stock price up 775-percent through his launch of innovative products such as the iMac computer line. On January 5, 2000, Jobs announced that he was dropping interim from his CEO title and taking the job full-time. With this news and Apple’s new products such as the iBook, a portable pc and Quick TV, an internet television access feature, Apple Computer is headed for success and is sure to increase their share in the computer market. The stock price is currently 103.31, down from a recent high of 121.50. The P/E ratio is declining at 28 and beta at .67, which is expected to grow closer to 1.0. A recent earnings surprise last December yielded a 15% difference from the lower expectations and the latest earnings reports late last month also surprised investors. Estimates for the 2000 fiscal year are being raised by a large majority of analyst who believe that earnings per share will increase and the stock price will reach close to 150. On January 25, 2000, Apple’s portable pc the iBook was ranked number 1 in its fourth quarter market and gives Apple a 10% share of all portable computers in the U.S. retail market and is estimated to have a 7% in foreign markets. I believe an increase in demand for this product over the next few months and Apple’s ability to supply the increase will be gradually pushing the price upward. The introduction of Apple’s new operating system is underway and is sure to boost stock price after the new product is highly marketed. Apple’s partnership with Earthlink, an internet service company will provide them with an opportunity for advancement into the industry. A new feature for Mac users is Quick TV, which allows users to watch TV on the internet.

What is Feminism Essay examples -- Social Issues, Womens Right

Introduction This essay aims to critically evaluate feminist arguments against the present social system of science. It begins with defining feminism and different waves which happened in the history of feminism. It then moves on to introduce different approaches in feminism. The arguments will be critically evaluated and the essay will be finished by a conclusion. What is feminism? Feminism can be described as movements which aimed at defending and establishing and providing equal social, political and economical right for women as well as equal opportunities for them (Butler, 1993). Because some people argue the gender as a social construction which can harm all people, thus, feminism look for liberate men as well as women (Butler, 1993). A person who practices feminism who can be either a man or a woman is called a ‘Feminist’. The history of western modern feminist movements can be divided into three â€Å"waves† (Humm, 1992). First-wave feminism looked for changes in marriage relationships, equality in property rights and eventually in women’s right to vote or women’s suffrage (W...

Problem of the organization Essay

The purpose of this case is to understand the situation and the problem the organization has faced and gives possible solutions. The company is conducting work life balance concept to improve the employee satisfaction. Work life balance is intended to maintain the balance between work life and personal life. That is favorably effect to the organization as well as the employees. YTB Bank has faced high absenteeism situation. Even though absenteeism is the practice of regularly staying away from work, here I have identified the absenteeism as a main problem in the case. Therefor I have acknowledged what â€Å"Absenteeism Management† is?. There are many forms to prevent from the absenteeism. Here, I have identified a few of them. Since the organization has faced the problems regarding the absenteeism, I have identified the possible solutions to get rid from that. But there are benefits and difficulties that the manager and the employees can face. Here the implementation of work life balance has gone the wrong way. The reason is, employees do not understand the right implementation of the concept. Because of that they are requesting more flexibility from the manager. For the problem of the case, I have selected the best practices manager can implement. Apprentice employment is the best practice to solve the problem. But there are pros and cons of apprenticeship. There are financial, labor disputes and disadvantages of contract basis employment. I have given a possible solution to get rid of those problems. Finally, I recommend the possible solutions which can implement by the company. Problem Statement and symptoms The problem is four tellers out of seven, requesting leave at the same period. Mr. Gamini as regional manager is facing a problem with requests leave 4 of his tellers out of the 7 at the same time. A. One female teller (A) has already gone on maternity leave and after the cession of the said leave quota she has to report back by next week, yet since her newly born baby was a premature one still she is keeping the child in the Neonatal unit of the Colombo Hospital and meanwhile she has made written request from Mr. Gamini to extend her leave. B. The second teller’s mother has fallen in the house and fractured her leg and this teller being the one and only child of the family had to look after her (B) mother and request at least one month leave. C. The third teller (C) has two little ones in the year 1 and 3 respectively and needs to go early by 12pm to collect her little ones after school since there was no one to take care of them after school as they have come to Colombo recently and the other thing is her husband was a supervisor of a factory who is usually reaching home late. D. The fourth one (D), most competent teller to be a successor to Mr. Gamini after him with good knowledge, skills and experience as identified by Mr. Gamini is demanding to exempt herself for a few hours from daily work in order to continue her MBA. Symptoms Employees do not have proper knowledge about absenteeism. And there is no proper procedure to manage absenteeism. Polices of absenteeism is not carefully established. There is not any flexible work arrangement at the workplace. Literature Review Work-life balance is adjusting day-to-day activities to achieve a sense of balance between work life and personal life. There are benefits of work life balance management. Those have reduced stress levels, at work and at home, Greater focus and concentration, Higher levels of job satisfaction, The opportunity to participate more fully in family and social life, More time to pursue personal goals and hobbies and it is cause to Improve health of employees. Balancing the demands of a busy lifestyle is not an easy thing to do, but is best managed by regularly reviewing and assessing priorities. Setting goals around helps to identify what value highly. Managing time effectively is important. It can be done through reviewing job activities, give priorities and success factors and create a boundary between balancing work and personal time-leave work at work where possible. Build resilience and have a positive attitude is must. Avoid stress, mental exhaustion and burnout, fatigue affect to work productively. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, look after yourself, eat well, sleep well and set aside a little time to exercise or pursue an activity that can enjoy are other factors. Everyone experiences stress at some stage in their life. It is a way for us to know that something in our life is causing us concern and is affecting how we are thinking and feeling. Stress is not always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best, but when you are constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pays the price. Managing stress is about making a plan to be able to cope effectively with daily pressures. The ultimate goal is to strike a balance between life, work, relationships, relaxation and fun. By doing this you are more able to deal with daily stress triggers and meet these challenges head on. Some strategies that can help to look after the mind and body, and in turn help to better control behaviors that result from too much stress. Consequences Consequences of absenteeism is not only harmful to an employee’s career, but the organization’s bottom line. Alternatively, absenteeism could be an indication of managerial issues. As an example : low employee morale and toxic work environment. Regardless of the reason, there is no doubt that the effects of absenteeism at work are resoundingly negative. Absenteeism hits the financial aspects of the organization. The absent member of staff has the potential to be paid for not producing any product. This can be 100% wages for a period of time which falls pro-rate as the absent period continues. Workers who regularly miss work or show up late risk being let go, forcing employers to go through the time and cost of hiring and training alternates. Complicating matters is the cost of having to pay an alternative employee to complete. Especially if short staffing forces managed to pay that individual over time. Administration of the cover absenteeism, rescheduling other employee, possible extra pay for others to take on the added amount of work. The added workload for peers is another problem. This adds greater pressure to others, requires a faster volume of the peers work to make time for the absent employee’s responsibilities to be covered. Frequent absenteeism can cause tension among co-workers. Employees who show up to work regularly and on time feel frustrated that a chronically late or absent employee is giving them an increased workload by forcing them to fill in. They may also pass judgment on the person’s perceived laziness. This anger can be aggravated further if no disciplinary action is taken. Great chance error due to added work load or adding new responsibilities to novice employees product quality deterioration can be brought about by work peers handling higher workloads. Dissatisfied customers may be resulted from that. Potential for other employees to become over-burdened and risk of them taking time off which of course adds to the circular effect. For those on long term absentees there is the possibility that their employment will be terminated. This requires recruitment to start, followed by interview, induction and training to bring the new employee up to that skill level of the terminated employee. Absenteeism impacts on the training and development of the employee base. If there is insufficient staff cover, employees may not be released for upskilling which adds to the poor performance of the overall organization. These are generic points, many employers will bring a wider range of issues specific to their environment If the employee is suffering personal problems, without a certain degree of flexibility and support from management, this can be even more detrimental than unexcused absences. If managers show zero tolerance for any absenteeism, workers will feel compelled to come in regularly, even if they definitely should not be there. Solutions To prevent difficulties like this, YTB Bank could have followed procedures. There are way outs which possible for the bank. A clear attendance policy. Flexible scheduling. Good documentation. Incentive programs should be tied to attendance. Tie promotions to attendants. The employee is in charge of their destiny. Look at the current scheduling guidelines. Peer pressure drives individual accountability. Let employees come up with their own schedules. Focus the real reasons for absence. Communicate regularly. Maintain contact with employees whilst they are absent from work. Take disciplinary action for unacceptable levels of absence. Include team games. Weight attendance on the scorecard. Share the statistics with departments/sections. Since the bank has introduced â€Å" Work-Life-Balancing-Dual-Responsibilities† process for the employees, managers can not restrict on the situation. Because of the he can adopt â€Å"Flexible Work Arrangements† to handle. Flexible work arrangements are alternate arrangements or schedules from the traditional working day and week. Employees may choose a different work schedule to meet personal or family needs. Alternatively, employers may initiate various schedules to meet their customer needs. There are flexible work arrangements can implement as the manager of YTB Banak. Since the teller is the employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. There should be a proper schedule to satisfy the customers. The tellers should have experience in cash handling and should have pleasant character. To take a solution there are information to recognize. 1. How many tellers should be there at the same time – Assume at least five tellers should be there to handle customers. 2. What are the days the number of customers is high. 3. Whether there are additional employees in other sections (Internal Recruitment). 4. What is the financial position of the company at the moment. Solutions for teller A According to the case, teller A should get leave because of the unconscious situation she has faced. And she has made written request too. As a manager, Mr Gamini can not give her solution. Because of that she should be released from the problem. It is possible if manager can manage the problem with other three tellers. Pros and cons of the solution Teller A satisfied about the leave and she is happy. And she will expect to report to the work as soon as possible. Other employees also expect more flexibility from the manager. Solutions for teller B Asks teller B to take a person or relation to take care her mother. Or tell her to take her own solution to solve the problem without taking leave. Pros and cons of the solution Teller B is getting disappointed about the workplace and she will demotivate to work. Solutions for teller C The manager can introduce flexible working schedule for the tellers. Teller C expecting go early to take her children. And teller D expects few hours of a day. Therefor, it is possible if D can come to work after 12 o’clock while C can go home to take care of the children. Pros and cons of the solution C and D are happy with the solution. And the tellers can treat customers successfully. B is not happy with the solution and she is disappointing. It is harmful to organizations god will and the policies of the company. Because if the employees are going early and come in the evening is will get the bad image for the people. Ask teller C to find out a day care center near to the office for children and manager can give half hour interval to take children and placed them in a day care center. Or manager can arrange a place to keep children within the office. And she can ask her relative to come and stay with them and take care her children. Solutions for Teller D Since the teller D required few hours of the day, it is better if the manager can give her one day leave for a week. Hence, she works four days in a weak and get one day leave. Pros and Cons of the solution Even though she is happy with the solution other employees also expecting excuses. Alternative Solutions 1. Discuss with the tellers at the same time and ask them to get together, discuss and come up with a solution. And the same time inform them, at lest there should be five tellers in the office same time. Pros and Cons of the solution That is motivating employees to take decisions and understand the importance of their attendance their own. According to that manager can arrange the work schedule. Other employee’s attitudes can be changed. They will discourage of work and they will come up with solutions and the reasons for absentees. 2. Delegation the workload with other tellers in preferable schedule is another solution. It is possible arranged teller C and teller D on a roster basis for morning and evenings and B to at be home. Then to fill the blank of a teller, delegate the work with another five tellers. Pros and Cons of the solution Teller C, teller D and Teller B also happy with the solution. Other tellers are getting frustrated. Because their workload is high. Other tellers getting pressure to finish work. And there is a big possibility to make mistakes. 3. Hiring new employees is another solution for that. The situation has not been going for a long time. Because of that manager can not recruit permanent employee. Because of that, the manager can hire a person for a short time period. There are possible employment types which possible: Probationers Apprentice Fixed Term Contract Casual Employees Seasonal Employment Outsourcing Pros and Cost of the solution There is an additional cost for the company. There are hiring cost, interviewing cost, salary and other administrative cost. But it is a long term investment to the company. New spirit of the company. Recommended Solution Since the attitude and the behavior of the employees are very hard to change, it is not perfectly work above most solutions. Because of that I suggest hiring an employee is the best practice for the problem. From the above employment types, â€Å"Apprentice† is the greatest practical solution. Apprenticeship Apprentice cannot be considered as a workman or an employee. Thus there is no contract of service between an employer and employee. An Apprentice is merely acquiring the knowledge of he/she is interested in and an employer merely undertakes to train him. However some statutes including Industrial Dispute Act, EPF Act and Termination of Employment Act, have brought in an Apprentice within the definition of a workman. Taking on apprentices and trainees can provide real benefits for the company. A new apprentice or trainee can contribute significantly to the bottom line, with practical skills and knowledge acquired through their training. Taking on a new apprentice may also mean eligible for a range of government financial assistance. They can be full-time, part-time or school-based. But that is a cost for the company. Apprenticeships are available in many occupations in a broad range of industries. It can be increased labor disputes. By providing apprenticeship company can spread their good will and company can a word the certificate after the period. That is beneficial for future recruitments. Precautions Training Needs Since the newcomer is an unskilled labor there should be orientation program and training program. For that manager can allow senior employees to train new employees. Pros and Cons : That is wasting the time of experienced employee but at the same time it is an investment for the company. Administration Cost There is an administration cost which should outflow of the company. For the personal file and training documents are included to the administration cost. Pros and Cons : Even though it is a cost should pay from the company, it is increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations. Moral Issues Morale and employee relations problems arise when the temps working alongside permanent employees for months, doing the same work and putting in the same hours, but not receiving the same benefits afforded their permanent employee’s co-workers. So it is better to explain the beneficial side of the apprentices and make the team work schedules. Pros and Cons : Again there is a time waste, but still the manager can make a friendly environment to each and every employee. Legal Concerns Recent court decisions have highlighted the fact that the organization must be careful how they hire apprentices. There must be no doubt about the workers’ status and about the lack of eligibility for the benefits of permanent employees. And treat temp workers with the same respect and care the permanent staff. Pros and Cons : The manager has to pay more attention to the legal remnants. And that will hit to the efficiency of the operations. But by paying more attention to those problems, managers can prevent from complex situations. Conclusion Organizations are conducting updated techniques, methods and the process maintain the efficient and effectiveness of operations. Human recourse management is one of the most important concepts of the company. Since the technological equipment and methods increase the productivity, there are arrangements to process and maintain employee satisfaction. HR Managers are responsible for making policies, designing and devising human resource strategies, contributing to the corporate plan of the organization, integrating human resource activities to the main purpose of the organization. Work life balance concept is one of the best practices of HRM. Implementation of the work life balance concept is beneficial for both parties. Efficient, innovative and motivated workforce is an asset to the company. And having a flexible work arrangement is facilitating employee satisfaction. They can easy to handle the day to day works. Before implement the process the management of the company should have proper knowledge about the concept and should identify the requirement of the employee. And they should conduct program to train their employees to implement the concept. Management should have rearranged the policies and schedules to maintain the control the concept. Then only company can increase the bottom line. Otherwise employee may expect more excuses and the flexibility and then they will miss their works. Within the work life balance environment it should be careful to maintain the absenteeism. It is better if management can get a solution from the organization without taking solutions from the outside. Job sharing, rescheduling, job expanding, promotions and internal recruitment are the internal solutions for the absenteeism. Otherwise every time organization has to pay the big cost to solve problems. Then employees will use to get solutions from out every time. They will not be serious in their work. In this case I have selected apprentice trainee for the vacancy. Because the change is a pain for employees. May be it is not effective the internal recruitment process. There is no contract with the employee and the employer in apprentice. Since the problem is for a short time period, that is the most possible solution than others. References Dayarathne N W K D K. (2007) Human Resources Management Theory and Practice, Colombo: S. Godage ; Brothers Snell. Bohlander. Vohra. (2007) Human Resources Management,Delhi:Cengage Learning http://wiki. answers. com/Q/How_can_high_absenteeism_of_employees_affect_an_organization 8/12/2013 http://www. qld. gov. au/health/mental-health/balance/lifestyle/index. html 8/14/2013 http://www. chamberscolombo. com/types_of_employment 10/15/2013 http://www. apprentice-forward. org. uk/YoungPeople/AdvantagesDisadvantages. asp 8/15/2013 http://www. businessknowhow. com/manage/hire-temp. htm 8/13/2013 http://www. hrmagazine. co. uk/hro/features/1078051/is-business-flexible 8/13/2013 http://www. hrsrilanka. com/resources/articles/81-terms-and-conditions-of-employment-in-sri-lanka 8/16/2013 https://www. whoi. edu/HR/page. do? pid=14332;ct=901;cid=2248/16/2013 http://www. inc. com/encyclopedia/flexible-work-arrangements. html8/16/2013 Appendix Case Study Mr. Gamini is the regional manager of the YTB Bank regional office Kirulapone and very recently he is facing problems with 4 of his tellers out of the 7 in the office. One female teller has already gone on maternity leave and after the cession of the said leave quota she has to report back by next week, yet since her newly born baby was a premature one still she is keeping the child in the Neonatal unit of the Colombo Hospital and meanwhile she has made written request from Mr. Gamini to extend her leave. The second teller’s mother has fallen in the house and fractured her leg and this teller being the one and only child of the family had to look after her mother and request at least one month leave. The third teller has two little ones in the year 1 and 3 respectively and needs to go early by 12pm to collect her little ones after school since there was no one to take care of them after school as they have come to Colombo recently and the other thing is her husband was a supervisor of a factory who is usually reaching home late. The fourth one, most competent teller to be a successor to Mr. Gamini after him with good knowledge, skills and experience as identified by Mr. Gamini is demanding to exempt herself for a few hours from daily work in order to continue her MBA. Early time none of these kind of request was entertained by the management of the band and from recent past the management is adopting a more flexible procedure and practice with regard to this type of work-life-balancing-dual-responsibilities of workers. Thus the new trend demands the regional manager Mr. Gamini to become a flexible

Why the Homeless Must Vote essays

Why the Homeless Must Vote essays You held out your hand and said you needed helping. They gave you a pathetic look and The acrid rain came down and it soaked up into your shoes. You thought you had pneumonia, but it was the homeless blues. You had not voted when you had a home. You had not voted when you had a job. You did not vote when domestic violence was not a problem. You did not vote when the house was not on fire. And surely you did not vote when you were out of your head on drugs and alcohol. Would you be concerned, and would anything have been different if you had been a registered voter, and had voted? When you heard someone say, "it can happen to any one of use," would you have thought that they could have been talking about your For a multitude of reasons, both legitimate and illegitimate, any one of us can again become homeless. With that concern in mind, the issues and positions of the homeless should be more immediate in the need for your attention. That concern should dictate that you not take for granted the duties of a citizen, and not have to rely on the kindness of strangers, nor be dependent on those who perhaps did vote. To vote is to use the greatest weapon a citizen has at his disposal in a democracy. To vote is to fight that corner of apathy in our communities, our institutions, in our homes and in To register to vote, and vote, by homeless people is a tool that was not always afforded the indigent, and some of the harsh realities of needing certain kinds of assistance is profoundly significant, in that you are in the eye of the storm at the moment, you can see with clarity the needs. And in the aftermath of the storm you will have a perspective of the legislation and the legislators who understand your plight now, and the same concerns of those who may need services after you. The homeless need to align ...

Free Essays on Clinical Interviewing

Given the specific situation of having a limited amount of therapy sessions, it would be difficult in being able to take time in the exploration stage. Naturally, I would reserve the first two sessions for the exploration stage only, given that the reason for the clients visits are not due to more difficult problems (i.e. suicide, rape, multiple personalities). Although other disorders/illnesses are relevant, more severe reasons for therapy sessions may reserve more sessions in the exploration stage due to the severity. It may be more difficult for a person who was rapped as a child to express their feelings and think of the complexity of their problems than it would for a mother who is feeling depressed because her child left the home. Again, every situation is different, and this is a generalization. Before being able to move on, I as a therapist, would need to feel confident in the reliability of the clients thoughts and feelings. The client must be able to explore throughout his/her problems without hesitation. Because the action and insight stage are more difficult to complete, there must be a good level of rapport before proceeding onto the next levels. Due to the time restraint, it would be necessary to proceed with a good level of rapport instead of a strong one. I would need to know the details of the particular problem the client is facing, what current mental and medical status the client is in, and lastly, what particular goals the client has set to reach by attending therapy. If the goals far exceed what I may be able to touch upon within the given time, I would express my concerns with the patient and explain that there are only 10 approved sessions, that we would work through as many â€Å"issues† as we could, but I would then recommend the patient attending more sessions if he/she could afford to do so. Because it would do more harm than good for a therapist to brush upon subjects a client may bring up due to the time ... Free Essays on Clinical Interviewing Free Essays on Clinical Interviewing Given the specific situation of having a limited amount of therapy sessions, it would be difficult in being able to take time in the exploration stage. Naturally, I would reserve the first two sessions for the exploration stage only, given that the reason for the clients visits are not due to more difficult problems (i.e. suicide, rape, multiple personalities). Although other disorders/illnesses are relevant, more severe reasons for therapy sessions may reserve more sessions in the exploration stage due to the severity. It may be more difficult for a person who was rapped as a child to express their feelings and think of the complexity of their problems than it would for a mother who is feeling depressed because her child left the home. Again, every situation is different, and this is a generalization. Before being able to move on, I as a therapist, would need to feel confident in the reliability of the clients thoughts and feelings. The client must be able to explore throughout his/her problems without hesitation. Because the action and insight stage are more difficult to complete, there must be a good level of rapport before proceeding onto the next levels. Due to the time restraint, it would be necessary to proceed with a good level of rapport instead of a strong one. I would need to know the details of the particular problem the client is facing, what current mental and medical status the client is in, and lastly, what particular goals the client has set to reach by attending therapy. If the goals far exceed what I may be able to touch upon within the given time, I would express my concerns with the patient and explain that there are only 10 approved sessions, that we would work through as many â€Å"issues† as we could, but I would then recommend the patient attending more sessions if he/she could afford to do so. Because it would do more harm than good for a therapist to brush upon subjects a client may bring up due to the time ...

Bard College Costs and Admissions Data

Bard College Costs and Admissions Data With an acceptance rate of 56  percent, Bard College is considered a somewhat selective school. Bard is a test-optional school, meaning that students who didnt take  or did poorly on the ACT or SAT, can still be considered for admission. Admissions to Bard are need-blind and test-optional, so a strong academic and extracurricular record are a must for this highly selective college. Since Bard uses the Common Application, students will have to complete the essay portion of that application. Applicants must also submit high school transcripts, letters of recommendation; optional materials include a resume of activities, awards,  and art portfolios for those interested in the art programs at Bard.   Admissions Data (2016) Bard College Acceptance Rate: 56%GPA, SAT and ACT Data for AdmissionTest ScoresSAT Critical Reading: 640 medianSAT Math: 620 medianACT Composite: 29 medianNote: Bard is a test-optional college Bard College Description: Located in Annandale-on-Hudson, a picturesque town about 90 miles north of New York City, Bard College is one of the countrys top liberal arts colleges. Bard prides itself on its faculty and a 10 to 1  student/faculty ratio. They tout 98 percent of classes having fewer than 30 students The faculty includes five MacArthur Fellows, and the school has been home to four recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature. For a small college, Bard is remarkably international, with 22 percent of students representing 51 countries other than the U.S. On the athletic front, the Raptors compete in the NCAA Division III, within the Liberty League. Popular sports include basketball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and track and field. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 2,304  (1,970 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 42% Male / 58% Female96% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $51,384Books: $950Room and Board: $14,540Other Expenses: $1,750Total Cost: $68,624 Bard College Financial Aid (2015- 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 66%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 62%Loans: 48%Average Amount of AidGrants: $37,368Loans: $7,349 Academic Programs The most popular majors are  Fine Arts, Languages and Literatures, Sciences, and Social Sciences. Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Soccer, Lacrosse, Baseball, Volleyball, Cross Country, Basketball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, SquashWomens Sports:  Swimming, Volleyball, Cross Country, Track and Field, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Tennis Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 86%Transfer-out Rate: - %4-year Graduation Rate: 69%6-year Graduation Rate: 78% Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics Bard and the Common Application Bard College uses the Common Application. These articles can help guide you: Common Application essay tips and samplesShort answer tips and samplesSupplemental essay tips and samples

The Foreign Policy Processes in France and Germany in the Post-Cold Essay

The Foreign Policy Processes in France and Germany in the Post-Cold War Era. What evidence is there that Germany has embarked on a normal foreign policy - Essay Example Following the war, there was a strong need for states to re-establish themselves on the world stage, especially in terms of foreign policy. The collapse of the Soviet Union meant that a new world order was necessary, as there was no longer the bipolarity of two warring superpowers (Ikenberry, 1996). Instead, the new world could be considered in one of two ways. Either unipolar, with the United States representing the centre of the worlds power and the only superpower, or multipolar, where there are many different centres of power, including Japan, Germany and China (Krauthammer, 1990). Many of the previously reliable reference points from which different states developed their foreign policy were gone, and thus the need to determine new areas of reference and new policies, were essential (Scott, 1998). There was no longer a common enemy of the Russians or a single unifying threat. Communism was also quickly collapsing, with the Berlin Wall being brought down around a year after the C old War finished. This represented a large change worldwide and one that had to be contended with in policy decisions for each government. The end of the Cold War resulted in a dramatic fall in the prevalence of communism worldwide and this caused a significant shift in the balance of power (Hopmann, 1994). As nations attempted to build new alliances and to secure current ones, foreign policy became one of the most important factors on the agendas of different nations. The German nation suffered from the limitation of stigmatism following the Second World War and this influenced their foreign policy.... The German nation suffered from the limitation of stigmatism following the Second World War and this influenced their foreign policy. France was not subject to the same limitation and as a consequence had more freedom in their decisions regarding foreign policy. Following the Cold War, it was unknown whether multiple world powers would emerge, or whether the United States would remain as the sole superpower. From the German perspective, there was the idea that the Germany could emerge to be one of the new superpowers, or Europe in general . One of the biggest changes that the end of the Cold War brought about for Germany and for Europe in general was the bringing down of the Berlin Wall. Like the end of the Cold War, this signified the collapse of the Soviet power . This lifted the threat of war that had been present in Europe for more than 40 years . Unification of East and West Germany occurred within a year of the end of the Cold War, and the country moved its focus back to the in ternational environment . One important issue for Germany was to decide whether they would be involved in nuclear weapons. This is a reflection of traditional concerns about security, and additionally may be related to a desire to be independent and to develop a distinctive ‘German’ identity . Germany was faced with an additional problem. It was not long after the Second World War, and much of the world was still wary about the country. As a consequence, their foreign policy had to take this into account. They could not focus on security to such an extent that it made them appear as a threat to other countries. Germany’s foreign policy focused on remaining a civilian entity, rather than building military might, and consequently, did not

Documentary about my grandfather's, Lawrence Weishuhn's contribution Research Paper

Documentary about my grandfather's, Lawrence Weishuhn's contribution to World War II - Research Paper Example The military personnel that participated in this war have received various acknowledgement and appreciation from the American people. Lawrence Weishnuhn fought in the Fifth army in the Allied forces during various campaigns. He received EAME (European-African-Middle Eastern) Campaign Medal, containing seven bronze stars, is a military decoration in the US armed forces (Pouge 12). It was created to acknowledge those in military service during the European Theatre in the WW II. He also received a distinguished Unit Badge. In addition, my grandfather earned himself a Good Conduct Medal. This paper will focus on discussing the various battles and wars that were fought by Lawrence Weishuhn. It will also demonstrate the strategies employed by the Allied forces which gave them victory over the Axis forces. The Balkan Campaign begun on October 1940 to June 1940 (McGowen 15). It was the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece by the Axis forces. It was stated by the failed invasion of the Italian forces in Greece and ended following the capture of Crete by the Germans. The Italians attacked Greece from Albania. However, the Greece counter attack was so strong that the Italian forces returned to Albania. The effort by Italians to invade Greece was unsuccessful. Later on, Germans successfully invaded Greece after the capturing of Yugoslavia. The war ended with the unconditional surrender of the Yugoslavian army in 1941. Germany attack on Yugoslavia was due to the fear that the UK would launch a bomb on the Romanian oilfields which supplied Germany with oil. It also sought to restore the lost Axis Alliance prestige after the Italian Fascist has lost the battle in Greece. The German force launched various bombing attacks on Yugoslavia. On April 6th, Adolf Hitler, ordered the institution of Operation Punishment on the capital city of Yugoslavia (McGowen 45). During this attack, about 300 aircrafts, consisting mainly of Junkers Ju 87, along with a

International Management Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Management Issues - Assignment Example The company has more than 820 stores and 63,000 employees. The company is next to South Africa include working in Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 2004 the chain opened its first store outside the African continent, in India. All stores are connected to the central computer in Cape Town, whereas sales per quarter are tracked via satellite (Oxford Economics, 2012). The shops of the company are often easy to spot, because they are in a closed area with lots of monitoring. The company is in Africa against many problems. Not only must it offer many bribes (also called the African way of doing business), for an establishment in a country, but also to the company itself build buildings and roads to build. Furthermore, the internal African import tariffs often very high (average 30 to 60% of the value of a product), although there are many, often overlapping, free trade zones (Oxford Economics, 2012). The company is criticized b y some for its low wages. In Malawi, a strike for better wages (at $ 4 per week) answered an ad in the newspaper with the demand for new workers, which stopped the strike. Brazil Brazil is a country recognized with the name of Federative Republic of Brazil, which is the largest kingdom in South America. It is regarded as the 5th largest country in the world both by the population of over 192 million people and by geographical area. On the east, it is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean with a coastline of 7,491 kilometres. On the north borders it has countries like Guyana, Venezuela, and Suriname and on the north-west it is bounded by Columbia. It is a country which is bordered by all the countries of South America except Chile and Ecuador. The economy of Brazil is the 6th largest in the supposed Gross Domestic Product and the 7th biggest in purchasing power in the world since 2011. It is among the best developing economies of the world. It is also a member country of several organization s like United Nations, Latin Union, CPLP, G20, Union of South American Nations, Organization of American States, and comes under the countries of BRIC. Brazil is considered as a land to diverse natural resources, wild-life, protected habitat, and the natural environments (Country Watch, 2012). Brazilian industry consists of 6% Agriculture, 25% manufacturing and 68% services. The long term credit ratings of the country are also stable. In the last decade more efforts were diverted towards securing a sustainable macroeconomic environment. Increased sustainability has lead to robust growth till 2010 which was 7.6%. However, recent economic conditions across the globe have deteriorated the growth. Brazil is expected to take-off in terms of growth at the rate of 5% in 2013. In the long term it is expected that Brazil will not be able to pace up with growth rate of 2013 and the average growth rate will hover around 3.9% from 2012 to 2013. The ongoing world economic crisis including Euro z one crisis has led to depreciation of Brazilian Real. This depreciation of currency has helped in boosting the exports of the locals due to cheap prices in international markets (Country Watch, 2012). Discussion Relations between Brazil and South Africa have traditionally been close. Brazil has provided military assistance to South Africa in the form of training and logistics of war. The relations between these countries increased as a result of the new South-South foreign policy of

Trust Can Make or Unmake Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trust Can Make or Unmake Organizations - Essay Example Hong Kong had been a bastion of capitalism for so long, hopping and prospering in a nearly unbridled free enterprise system that it looked at mainland China as untrustworthy as the new lord and master of a freedom and fun-loving group of people. China was of course known for its regimented economic and political life as well as its severe, heavy-handed style of communist rule. Their minds made up on the undesirability of Chinese control, many business interests fled Hong Kong before the Chinese took over. But just as many companies stayed - and found that the earlier fears and feelings of distrust by the others were unfounded. The Chinese let the former British colony live the way it used to and in fact opened up mainland China to fresh winds of reforms. What happened in Hong Kong was an example of how lack of trust and full understanding of how trust operates can blindside people and in the process erode the level of economic activity and the quality of life desired for everyone. This is one of the reasons why the formal study of trust is attracting a lot of interest among scholars in the fields of international relations, political science, psychology and sociology, management and economics, and conflict analysis. Results of the initial studies confirm that people suspect or mistrust others based on surface impressions. More important, they cannot work together as a group without each appreciating the value of trust. Tr Trust Trust is a key enabler of cooperative human actions (D'Amico, L., 2003). The intensified studies on trust in many relevant fields in effect recognize the importance of cooperative behavior to the success of any human endeavor and, consequently, to the success or failure of an organization. It was found that trust leads two other basic mechanisms by which such cooperation can be achieved in human behavior, the other two being power and the market. These mechanisms come into play through three types of trust: Type A - The relationship between two parties is based on a system of sanctions or incentives, which could be economic (fines, rewards, etc.) or social (black listing or alienation), put up to ensure that one does not abuse the trust of the other. Type B - Confidence is based on personal relations or trust. Thus, John would not abuse Joe's trust because to do so would damage their friendship and John believes that Joe values such friendship. Type C - The relationship is hinged on abstract systems (money tokens, for example) and social institutions (professional and trade associations) and hence avails of market forces. Lewis & Weigert define trust as "a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that extends to both the personal and impersonal, and to situational and across-situational contexts." This means that trusting or depending on another is based on a given situation, such that the decision to trust is formed tentatively and conditionally until the other person or institution proves to be unworthy of the trust. The other way around happened to the companies that opted to stay in Hong Kong despite earlier misgivings about the fair-mindedness of Chinese decision-makers. In time, China proved worthy of said companies' trust . In the concept of trust set by Harrison, et al. trust can be a behavior, an expectancy, an attitude, a confidence, a belief or set of beliefs, and a situational, dispositional, structural or interpersonal variable. To trust

Bank of America Corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 26000 words

Bank of America Corporation - Research Paper Example For this report, Bank of America may be referred to as â€Å"BofA† and other identifying names for the financial institution. Bank of America and its subsidiaries serves individual consumers, small and middle market businesses, large corporations, and governments. The firm offers a full range of banking, investing, asset management, and other financial and risk management products and services. Bank of America provides services through its subsidiaries (banks) and nonbanking subsidiaries around the world through six primary business segments: Deposits, Global Card Services, Home Loans & Insurance, Global Commercial Banking, Global Banking & Markets (GBAM), and Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM). As of December 31, 2010 Bank of America had approximately $2.3 trillion in assets and approximately 288,000 full-time employees. The bank serves approximately 57 million consumers in 5,900 banks, 18,000 ATMs, a network of national call centers, and through online and mobile b anking platforms. Bank of America has over 80% of the domestic banking market and operates in more than 40 countries around the world. On January 1, 2009, Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (Merrill Lynch) as a result the Bank of America became one of the largest wealth management businesses in the world with nearly 17,000 wealth advisors, an additional 3,000 investment advisors, and more than $2.2 trillion in client assets. The company has the No. 1 market share of U.S. retail deposits, is the No. 1 issuer of debit cards in the United States, No. 2 in credit card products in United States, and the No. 1 credit card issuer in Europe. Bank of America Home Loans is the No. 1 residential mortgage servicer and the No. 2 residential mortgage loan originator in the United States with 5,300 mortgage loan officers nationwide. Mission and Vision Mission Statement: The Mission Statement is the foundational philosophy and principles that a company is built on. The Statement usu ally reflects the values and beliefs of the founder(s) of the company. Over time the founding statement may change due to evolution of the company, however the essence of the original values still permeate through the modern day statement of mission for the company. Finding Bank of America’s mission statement was marred in a number of non-descriptive statements, fundamentally the stated mission is to be the â€Å"World’s Most Admired Company† (Bank of America â€Å"Executive Summary 1). Coupled with the philosophy which states â€Å" We believe very simply that it is the action of individuals working together that build strong communities and that business has an obligation to support those acts in the communities it serves† the bank is describing itself and its purpose for existing (Bank of America â€Å"Executive Summary 2). Notably, another statement reflects Bank of America’s commitment to consumers and acknowledges the responsibility of bein g supportive of customer needs and goals. Our mission is to provide you with an outstanding member/Customer benefit that helps you meet your organization's objectives. We work very hard to understand your objectives, then create a program that can help you meet them. Whether you want to attract new members, retain existing ones, drive incremental sales, or reinforce member or brand loyalty, we will work with you to help you achieve those goals. (Bank of America â€Å"Executive Summary† 1) The bank’s philosophy is: The company slogan is â€Å"Changing the Way You Do Business† (Bank of America â€Å"Executive Summary 2). Theoretically, the underlying motivation of the company’s can be seen in the philosophy. The slogan is a clear offshoot of

Trust Can Make or Unmake Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trust Can Make or Unmake Organizations - Essay Example Hong Kong had been a bastion of capitalism for so long, hopping and prospering in a nearly unbridled free enterprise system that it looked at mainland China as untrustworthy as the new lord and master of a freedom and fun-loving group of people. China was of course known for its regimented economic and political life as well as its severe, heavy-handed style of communist rule. Their minds made up on the undesirability of Chinese control, many business interests fled Hong Kong before the Chinese took over. But just as many companies stayed - and found that the earlier fears and feelings of distrust by the others were unfounded. The Chinese let the former British colony live the way it used to and in fact opened up mainland China to fresh winds of reforms. What happened in Hong Kong was an example of how lack of trust and full understanding of how trust operates can blindside people and in the process erode the level of economic activity and the quality of life desired for everyone. This is one of the reasons why the formal study of trust is attracting a lot of interest among scholars in the fields of international relations, political science, psychology and sociology, management and economics, and conflict analysis. Results of the initial studies confirm that people suspect or mistrust others based on surface impressions. More important, they cannot work together as a group without each appreciating the value of trust. Tr Trust Trust is a key enabler of cooperative human actions (D'Amico, L., 2003). The intensified studies on trust in many relevant fields in effect recognize the importance of cooperative behavior to the success of any human endeavor and, consequently, to the success or failure of an organization. It was found that trust leads two other basic mechanisms by which such cooperation can be achieved in human behavior, the other two being power and the market. These mechanisms come into play through three types of trust: Type A - The relationship between two parties is based on a system of sanctions or incentives, which could be economic (fines, rewards, etc.) or social (black listing or alienation), put up to ensure that one does not abuse the trust of the other. Type B - Confidence is based on personal relations or trust. Thus, John would not abuse Joe's trust because to do so would damage their friendship and John believes that Joe values such friendship. Type C - The relationship is hinged on abstract systems (money tokens, for example) and social institutions (professional and trade associations) and hence avails of market forces. Lewis & Weigert define trust as "a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that extends to both the personal and impersonal, and to situational and across-situational contexts." This means that trusting or depending on another is based on a given situation, such that the decision to trust is formed tentatively and conditionally until the other person or institution proves to be unworthy of the trust. The other way around happened to the companies that opted to stay in Hong Kong despite earlier misgivings about the fair-mindedness of Chinese decision-makers. In time, China proved worthy of said companies' trust . In the concept of trust set by Harrison, et al. trust can be a behavior, an expectancy, an attitude, a confidence, a belief or set of beliefs, and a situational, dispositional, structural or interpersonal variable. To trust

Game scrabble Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Game scrabble - Essay Example In this paper, we shall have a look into the lives of three characters and their relationship to scrabble (Petrillo & Chaikin, 2004). In the documentary video called Word Wars posted by Julian Petrillo and Eric Chaikin in You Tube, a detailed analysis is made about scrabble through looking into the lives of some of the characters who won the Scrabble prize money some years ago. One of the characters is Matt Graham, who at the moment was the 8th best player in the world (Petrillo & Chaikin, 2004). A close up into his personal and games life was made and the audience had a look at how a scrabble champion lives. In Matt’s case, he is obsessed with scrabble. First of all, Matt lives a simple life, he is neither rich nor poor, but he is constantly dreaming of becoming a champion another time so that he can take the prize money home. He is a down to earth person, and one could get a glimpse of what he does at his home (Petrillo & Chaikin, 2004). From the documentary, Matt does not have a regular job, though plays scrabble as a professional. In as much as he knows that becoming a professionally paid scrabble playe r entails a lot of hard work and dedication, he does not relent on this, but instead pushes himself to the limits. He has a library full of dictionaries to nourish him with new words (Petrillo & Chaikin, 2004). He has studied volumes of dictionaries and constantly yearns for more in order to build his word vocabulary. In order for Matt to boost his brain capacity to absorb the large quantities of information, he uses a number of drugs (Petrillo & Chaikin, 2004). From the documentary, you can clearly see he uses a number of brain boosters. One could think he is a psychiatric case with obsessiveness to the game through the kind of investments he has made for such a game. At his house, Matt is not an organized person based on the unarranged stuff in his house. In addition, he is not a

The duality of human nature in chapters 1, 4 & 9 of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay Example for Free

The duality of human nature in chapters 1, 4 9 of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay In what ways does Stevenson present the duality of human nature in chapters 1, 4 9 of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and how does this duality reflect the concerns of the time? Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, published in 1886, regards many of the issues within Victorian culture and it presents the authors own disgust towards the traditions and affairs concerning Victorian society and the people living in it at the time. Stevensons book incited the idea that everyone was capable of committing moral and immoral actions, it had nothing to do with your appearance, and his one shilling shocker did what he said it would, it shocked and appalled the Victorian public. Science was rapidly becoming a more frequently occurring part of peoples lives and it was posing a fast rising threat to religion and its practises, whilst at the same time theories such as Charles Darwins theory of evolution were severely undermining and attacking the influence that the Christian church could have in peoples lives. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was another science based book, and this is similar to Stevensons book in a way that a Dr [Frankenstein] is using his mind and science for the wrong reasons. People had begun to question the notion that God created the world, and this was exacerbated by Frankensteins experiments. In a clearly divided London, there was conflict between the East and West end, much like there was conflict between the upper and lower classes. Over time, a momentously bitter split was formed between those who were born into wealth, and those unfortunate enough to be thrown into a struggling, lower class background. The upper class feared that the lower class would pollute their flawless society. Habits such as infraction and homosexuality were thought to be associated with the lower class and the upper class feared this. A recurring theme of the time was that a criminal could be recognised simply by their appearance and reality was discounted totally. When the book was taken to the theatre, Richard Mansfield the actor who played Mr Hyde fit the common recognition of an evil man, and acted so convincingly that the audience actually believed he was Jack the ripper himself. However, Jack the ripper contradicted these beliefs and went against the general beliefs inspired by the theories of Lombroso and Francis Galton (a criminal was short and had a big head as they had devolved). What is more, it was proven that Oscar Wilde, a lower class man who was six foot six, hence hugely different to the theories of Lombroso and Galton, was having a homosexual relationship with a member of the aristocracy. This furthered the idea of disease coming from the lower class and infecting the upper class. Plus, the book Dracula considers blood transfusions, and it is a parallel to the notion of separation in Victorian London. Blood passed into a normal persons body from a vampire and infected them, much like the lower class were infecting the upper class. Firstly, much alike other characters in the book, there is a clear and present duality between the characters (or character) Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. We are first introduced to Mr Hyde during the incident in which he tramples over a little girl in the street. He is described as a monster, not of this world: It wasnt like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. On any occasion that there is a portrayal of Hyde, we are made aware of his hellish actions and the actuality that someone either dislikes him, or more severely, wants to kill him: I had taken a loathing to my gentleman at first sight. So had the childs family, which was only natural. In the nature that he is referred to as a Juggernaut, we are told he is an unstoppable force, and he is therefore likened to Jack the Ripper who, although he should supposedly fit Lombroso and Galtons theories about criminal appearance, is impossible to catch. During the opening of the book, Hyde is in no way likened to a man, hence insinuating that there is something wrong with Hyde, and he may be like no other man, in either appearance or reality. Stevenson strengthens this notion by stating: he gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. Despite this, Dr Jekyll is first construed as a, large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty. This gives the reader the impression that he is just an indifferent member of the upper class, hence suggesting that he is the exact opposite to Mr Hyde. Moreover, the fact that Jekyll is referred to as, Dr and Hyde is referred to as Mr suggests that Mr Hyde, a lower class person is polluting Dr Jekyll, an upper class person, fitting in with the common fear that the lower class would pollute and corrupt the idealistic upper class, therefore suggesting the duality of the East and West ends. The duality between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at the time of the book could epitomize the concerns of Victorian society and the theories of evolution proposed by Charles Darwin. The theory enunciated that all human beings began as apes, and that we have developed throughout time to suit the environment, or to adapt, fitting the idea of survival of the fittest. The harsh fact that Mr Hyde has not yet been likened to man suggests he is devolved, and Stevenson is able to convey this point by stating that he clubbed him to the earth (in relation to the murder of Sir Charles Danvers). From this statement we are able to infer that Mr Hyde is now being likened to a caveman brandishing a club, a supposed early stage in the theory of evolution. What is more, Hyde is depicted to have, ape-like fury which even more so directly parallels him to Darwins theory. Sigmund Freud had proposed at the time was that a person has three parts; the id, the ego and the superego. The id was supposedly the unconscious mind, or inner desires, the ego being a conscious self, which was a front to interact with society, and finally the superego was the conscious feelings of disapproval that would be hidden away as the guilty conscious. Mr Hyde could be characterized as the id, as the unconscious mind providing us with physical drives and desires, thus allowing Hyde to live with no moral restraints or standards. On the other hand, Dr Jekyll can be perceived to be the ego, the conscious self being developed by the mind. He is fully conscious of his own actions. Mr Hyde or Hide is the id. We can consider that Hyde (the id) may be hiding within Hide. Furthermore, Dr Jekyll begins with the French word Je, or it can translate to I. Therefore, Jekyll who is the ego, can be seen as I or Stevenson could be the I in Jekyll, and he could be using him [Jekyll] as a puppet to convey a didactic message. Amid Stevensons one shilling shocker, there are numerous references to both science and religion. Scientific advances at the time intimate that Stevenson was trying to convey a didactic message by writing a highly controversial book. In chapter one, it was hellish to see is but one of the frequently occurring references to religion, along with describing Mr Hyde as, really like Satan. This indicates that Stevenson is trying to liken Mr Hyde to Satan, who at the time was thought to be the most evil creature in the universe, by some religious people. However, when describing the dark London night, the quote: all lighted up as if for a procession and all as empty as a church demonstrates conflicting ideas between science and religion. Stevenson is trying to bring one aspect of duality in Victorian society to a halt, by combining science, with relation to the street lamps, and religion with relation to the church. What is more the church is described as empty, ergo insinuating that science is constantly becoming more and more a part of Victorian society, gradually stripping religion of its influence. Stevenson utilises two different settings in which he presents the two main characters, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and this explores the conflicting backgrounds and personalities of the two men. In the instance that Mr Utterson is taken to the residence of Hyde in Soho, he enters his room and Stevenson delineates the room as being, furnished with luxury and good taste. This is a huge duality, as it would seem strange that Mr Hyde, having been characterized as such an evil looking, ugly man could have such a clean and well furnished room. Yet another quote, the closet filled with wine would indicate that Mr Hyde is a rich, thriving man and thus should be of a high status within Victorian society. What is more, we are enlightened that Mr Hyde has a: picture hung on the walls, a gift from Henry Jekyll, who was much of a connoisseur. This portrayal of the wall hanging and of the entire flat seems to give us more of a concept with regards to the type of accommodation that Dr Jekyll would live in, because of his status as a high class man. However, it is apparent Mr Hyde is living in the flat, due to the, dingy windowless structure and, distasteful sense of strangeness that Stevenson goes on to describe. Duality of the flat is found in the sense that in one judgement, the flat is elaborately and intricately decorated, but in another, it is dingy and distasteful. Dr Lanyon is a scientist, much like Dr Jekyll; however, although the two men share the same profession, they do not share the same ideas or moral values. Lanyon may be a scientist, yet he is still a very strong and motivated religious believer, and he tries to distance himself from Jekyll because of what seems to be his [Jekyll] lack of morals with regards to human life, my colleague [Dr Jekyll] was insane. Through Lanyon and Jekyll, Stevenson is able to convey the antithesis of science conflicting with religion, and how just as before, Lanyon and Jekyll should live together as friends and in peace, as potentially science and religion can. Throughout the book, references are made as to the duality between reality and appearance. Mr Utterson, a key featuring character in the book is given a detailed description in chapter one. He is described as, cold, scanty and embarrassed and he is referred to as, dreary which suggests that he is an extremely dull and irksome man who will play no major role in the book, due to the fact that he is so terribly tedious. Despite this, he is later referred to as, loveable and it is said that, something eminently human beaconed from his eye thus suggesting that he is a man who likes to keep to himself, but underlying emotions and feelings may expose the real person within, hence connoting duality between his human side, and his dreary, uncaring side. It is said in the Bible that, the eyes are the window to the soul consequently the fact that we are told something human is emerging from his eye suggests that he is not soulless and boring as suggested, there is an antithesis between his cold and harsh exterior, and his softer, more forgiving inside. Stevenson uses Utterson to convey a didactic message that Victorian society is too concerned with appearance, and too little attention is paid to reality. Additionally, there is a certain duality between the character associated with Mr Utterson, and his personality in reality. In the book it is stated that he: enjoyed the theatre but had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years. Over time, he has been able to work upon and build his image as a true, upper class gentleman. This can be regarded much like a poet spends an age perfecting a sonnet, and as part of this image, he must obey the rule that the theatre is the place of the common people, and not for someone of the stature of himself. Utterson was a, nut to crack intimating that he was really just a man who wanted to enjoy life hiding behind a shell of lies, yet out of fear for his reputation and status, this spirit of free will must be locked away. Throughout the short book, Stevenson has used more than one narrator to tell the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The book had effectively been written by society and it is highly reflective of Victorian life. Dr Lanyon narrates some of the book, along with Dr Jekyll narrating through his letter. This is extremely effective as it can tell the story in two parts, thus emphasising the split in Victorian society between the East and West end, and the lower and upper class. In conclusion, throughout the book, Stevenson has epitomised his ideas on the issues haunting an unstable Victorian society, and most definitely, the sentiment of allocation within this society due to the importance and lust for money is one that Stevenson strongly disagrees with, thus allowing him to passionately convey his didactic message to eliminate this divide. Furthermore, Stevenson is sickened by the paradox in which those as evil and immoral as Mr Hyde can live a luxurious lifestyle and do what they want when they want, regardless of the horrific deeds and actions which he has perpetrated. The dedication to Katharine De Mattos in a way conveys all of the didactic messages that Stevenson is attempting to display within the book: its ill to loose the bands that God decreed to bind suggests that what God has created should be cherished and ordered as he decides, and that science does not have the right to change what God has laid out. Furthermore, and finally, away from home intimates that we are far away from heaven, and our sins will drive us away from God. The word wind connotes a force of change, and a well know phrase can be likened to thi part of Stevensons dedication: one day the wind will change and your face will stay like that Although used as a modern day and light-hearted threat from a mother or father to their child, this is relevant to the book as potentially Dr Lanyon could uptake the father figure, whilst Henry Jekyll can appear as the child. Much as Dr Jekyll changed into Mr Hyde, we too can change from a faithful person with a well led life, to an arrogant and selfish person who had little if any moral values.

A Stock Analysis Report On Starhub Economics Essay

A Stock Analysis Report On Starhub Economics Essay The aftermath of the financial crisis in the year 2008 has adversely affected the economic systems in the world; causing liquidity in the credit markets to dry up and eventually resulted in many financial institutions facing insolvency issues. Businesses around the world faced tough times in getting funds as banks became conservative in lending. Financial authorities around the world thus took measures in a bid to control the wide spread of the crisis to reduce the impacts. Singapore was not spared in the crisis too and now sees massive funds, monetary policies and fiscal plans being implemented to ease the situation. In 2009, Singapores GDP decreased by 7.5% from a growth rate of 21.7% in the post-crisis bounce Q2 to 14.2% in Q3. However, there were increasing signs of recovery in Q3, showing an expansion of all sectors in the economy. This reflected a better-than-expected outcome for Singapores GDP growth forecast for 2009 and has been revised upwards to between -2.5% and -2%, from -6% to -4%. The decrease in unemployment rate from 3.1% in 2005 to 2.2% in 2008 as shown in Appendix Table 2.1 also signals that the Singapore economy is recovering from economic slowdown. 1.2 Critical Variables affecting Singapore economy We have identified several critical variables that have significant impact on the Singapore economy. They are namely, the monetary policy, fiscal policy, and external trades. 1.2.1 Monetary Policy One of the key initiative of MAS to ease the economy is adopting monetary policy works through manipulating the exchange rate to influence the economy to achieve low inflation and sustainable growth, taking into consideration the fact that the nature of Singapores economy is strongly correlated because of the economys reliance on exports and the city-state imports virtually all of its needs which will be covered in section 1.2.5 Singapore Export. This resulted in MAS relying on the currency rather than its interest rate as its policy tool. Currently, MAS has abandoned its strong currency strategy in which it has implemented since April 2004 and has maintained its loose monetary policy zero per cent appreciation for the Sing dollar despite a modest recovery from recession since 2002 (CNA, 2009a). The maintaining of its relaxed monetary policy of zero per cent appreciation of the S$SNEER policy band came about on October 10, 2009 (Bloomberg, 2009). This new policy is a complete U-turn of MAS stance when MAS called for a quicker exchange-rate appreciation to damp inflation six months ago. Strengthening the Sing dollar, which has been adopted by MAS since April 2004, is a move to tame the increasing inflation as Singapores annual inflation rate has moved up to 7.5% in a new 26-year record high (CNA, 2009b). However, inflation for the upcoming year is expected to fall with the increase in commodity prices. Although MAS Monetary Policy Statement does not state the reason for the new policy except that the economy is deteriorating and inflation is on the rise rapidly, we analyze that the new policy will help Singapore exporters in the long run, and this will be covered under section 1.2.5 Singapore Export. This will encourage a strong growth recovery in the upcoming year and we foresee that the Singapore economy will be favorable to investment despite the gloomy world economy originating from US recession. This is due to the fact that Singapore does not rely only on US but other trading partners from other nations. 1.2.2 Fiscal Policy On the fiscal front, the government has been responsive to the evolving challenges confronting the Singapore economy and has enforced it full force. Subsequently, with the onset of the global financial crisis and credit crunch, the government announced a $2.3 billion package towards the end of 2008 to loosen credit lines and help local businesses gain access to loans (MAS, 2009). In view of the rapidly deteriorating economic environment, a $20.5 billion (8.2% of GDP) resilience package was delivered to save jobs, to address structural challenges, help viable companies stay afloat and enhance the economys long-term capabilities. For instance, the corporate income tax rate will be reduced from 18% to 17%, starting from YA2010, to boost competitiveness and attract investment to spur job creation. In addition, the government is also pressing ahead with long-term investments in infrastructure, education and healthcare to make Singapore a world-class city. Thus with these policies implemented, growth rate for Singapore economy is expected to rise further in 2010 (IRAS, 2009). 1.2.3 Inflation Inflation occurs when demand exceeds supply, causing prices of goods and services to rise. Over the years, the Singapores inflation rate has been on a rise from 0.5% in 2005 to 6.5% in 2008 which is in line with the consumer price index (CPI1) which also raised from 100.4 in 2005 to 110.3 in 2008 as shown in Appendix Table 1.4 (Government of Singapore, 2009). The rise in inflation is mainly driven by higher food and transport costs in Singapore. This leads to slower growth of the money supply in the economy as well as higher interest rate are charged for borrowing money. Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has recently announced that its inflation forecast for 2010 to be between 2.5 and 3.5 per cent as a flood of foreign investment raises asset-bubble worries (JakartaGlobe, 2009). A fall in inflation means that the overall price level of goods will decrease and that consumer purchasing power will raise, simulating consumer spending as well as the economy. 1.2.4 External Factors The outlook of Singapores economy is closely linked to global conditions which is the international trade performance. In other words, positive global economic developments would suggest a healthy economy in Singapore. Singapores consumer price index (CPI1) is driven by external factors such as oil and food commodity prices which is determined by the growth of the world markets. Emerging market economies, especially in Asia, continue to recover strongly. For instance, Indonesia, Singapores fourth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at S$75.1 billion saw a rise of 13 per cent from 2007 (Borhan. H., 2009). In addition, private-sector economists currently expect the US economy to expand by 2.7% in 2010, from a projected -2.4% this year, adding further to the bright outlook of the export markets. 1.3 Forecast for Singapore Economy We expect that the growth in the first and second quarters in 2010 is likely to be moderated, taking in the fact that exportation is expected to remain depressed. However, in the third quarter onwards, we analyse that the economy will shift towards positive as a result of the stimulative policies implemented by the governments of its trading partners. The Singapore economy will thus ride on this wave of economic recovery and progression. In addition to this is the fact that MAS will continue to be vigilant over the progress of the economy and has implemented a series of policies. With the continued implementation of the S$SNEER policy, it will further strengthen Singapores export markets, encouraging an increase in its export rates due to cheaper goods from Singapore. Furthermore, the resilience package which the government delivered will continue to reap positive effects in the economy as more companies are able to tide through this tough period, saving jobs and increasing employment rate in the process. 2. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 2.1 Overview of Singapore Info Communication Industry We have selected info communication industry as the industry suitable for investment. Over the years, the infocomm industry has greatly enhanced Singapores competitiveness by raising productivity and transforming business processes. 2.1.1 Defensive Industry We have indentified infocomm industry as a defensive industry. Telecommunication and internet services are an integral part of business operation and will still be required even in times of recession. The info communication industry plays an important and essential role that supports the Singapore economy to function as a major communication hub. As such, our selected industry will appeal to investors as defensive industries as the values of these stocks are generally maintained during economic downturn. 2.1.2 Market Structures Oligopoly The Singapore infocomm industry was liberalized in April 2000 by IDA to promote competition among existing players and create opportunities for new market entrants. Following that, big companies like StarHub and M1 were awarded licenses to set up telecommunications operations in Singapore (IDA, 2000). This leads to a transition of the market structure from monopoly previously dominated by SingTel to oligopoly. Singapores Info-communication industry is dominated by three major companies namely, SingTel, MobileOne (M1) and StarHub. Currently, SingTel holds the number one position with a 46.4% market share. StarHub came in second with 27.9% market share while MobileOne stands third with 25.7% market share as of 2008 (IR Market Research Corp, 2009). Since a large percentage of the market is taken up by these firms, they tend to cooperate with each other by keeping their prices competitive to take full advantage of the profits in the industry. 2.1.3 Past Sales and Earnings Performance Singapores info communication industry is one of the key contributors to the Singapore economy. From Appendix Chart 2.2, we infer that the overall infocomm industry experienced a stage of constant growth during the period of 2004-2008. The revenue of the industry has been constantly increasing from $34.77 billion in 2004 to $58.10 billion in 2008. This represents an overall growth of 40.2 per cent (IDA, 2008a). Based on the trend given in Appendix Chart 2.2, we infer that the infocomm sector has past the rapid acceleration growth and currently in the stage between mature growth and stablisation market maturity. The public are now familiar with the industry, profit margin continues to grow and begins to stabilise as shown in past three years performance. The Info communication industry in Singapore relies on both the domestic and export markets. Since the domestic market is limited to Singapore, major companies in the sector such as SingTel have expanded its business to overseas. In 2008, the 61% of Singapores infocomm total revenue was contributed by export composition (IDA, 2008c). Based on the annual survey of info communication industry 2008, Singapores infocomm export experienced a constant growth rate of 77.6% from 2004 ($19.86 billion) to 2008 ($35.28 billion) as shown in Appendix Chart 2.4. While Singapores infocomm domestic experienced an overall grow of 53.1% from 2004 ($14.91 billion) to 2008 ($22.82 billion) and strong growth of 25.9% from 2007 ($18.13 billion) to 2008 ($22.82 billion) as shown in Appendix Chart 2.5 (IDA, 2008c). 2.2 Government Initiatives towards Info Communication Industry Singapores government support plays an important role in the growth of the infocomm industry. Over the years, IDA has been continuously working on creating demand and opportunities to enhance competition and sustain growth in the infocomm industry through short and medium term policies, regulations and guidelines. For instance, IDA has been working on programmes such as the Overseas Development Programme to assist local infocomm companies in expanding into international markets through collaborating with major local infocomm companies (IDA, 2009a). Singapore export infocomm has been a key contributor to the overall growth of the industry. In 2008, 61% of Singapores Infocomm total revenue was generated by the export sector (IDA, 2008c). On top of that, the government has recently developed a go-to-market strategy to accelerate market access and expand business opportunities through marketing products and services offered by local infocomm companies to potential foreign customers through overseas tradeshows and seminars (IDA, 2009d). This would help promote the Infocomm industry, create more overseas business opportunities as well as increasing the profit margins of Singapore Infocomm exports in the following financial year. As for domestic of infocomm, the government will be investing S$1.73 billion on the infocomm industry to meet the demand of businesses and citizens through increasing business efficiency (IDA, 2009c). To promote effective competition, IDA has also recently released new advisory guidelines which obligates major mobile operators such as SingTel, StarHub and M1 to cease the fixed early termination charges on customers who sign on mobile contracts for no longer than three months and terminate before the end of their contract with effect on 1 March 2010. This would mean higher competition between firms in the upcoming year which would aid in the growth of the industry (IDA, 2009e). 2.3 Porters Competitive Forces Model 2.3.1 Rivalry among Existing Firms The rising demand for mobile broadband services has attributed to the stronger competition between the three major operators SingTel, StarHub and MobileOne. Competitors are now providing higher quality and value-added services at more attractive prices. For instance, SingTel is offering the all-in-one Mio Home packages that include broadband Internet access, home fixed line and Mio TV at an attractive price. In addition, SingTel and M1 are also offering rewards such as monthly bill rebates to promote loyalty from existing subscribers and new phone set at attractive prices to attract new customers. Besides that, they are also offering full mobile number portability services to allow subscribers to retain their existing phone number even if they switch to another service provider. As such, the competition between these companies would further drive the infocomm industry. 2.3.2 Bargaining Power of Customers Since Singapore Infocomm sector are dominated by SingTel, StarHub and M1, customers will have to accept the service plans offered by these companies. As such, customers in the telecommunication industry have little bargaining power since the price of products and services are mainly determined by these companies and. For example, customers who wish to buy an iphone would need to subscribe to 3G data plans and pay a fixed price plan set by the mobile provider. Thus, even if there is a price cut, it is most likely caused by competition within the industry rather than customers bargaining power (MSN, 2009). As such, major infocomm companies have the ability to influence the market price of their products and services while keeping prices competitive to take full advantage of the profit margin thus making the industry attractive to invest. 2.3.3 Bargaining Power of Supplier The suppliers of the major infocomm companies are recognised as having strong bargaining power over the industry. For instance, the suppliers of StarHubs Max Cable TV are mainly contents providers such as Cartoon Network, HBO, etc and handsets suppliers such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, etc. With the recent acquisition of the distribution rights of Apple iPhone, Apple Inc would become the new supplier of StarHub. These suppliers have high power in exercising the price and quality of the product. For example, in order to broadcast a particular channel on Max Cable TV, StarHub would need to pay a price set by the channel providers. 2.3.4 Threat of New Entrants The ownership of a telecom license can represent a huge barrier to entry. Singapore infocomm industry of was liberalized in April 2000 by the government with the objective to increased competition among existing players and to create opportunities for new market entrants. However, since most citizens already own at least one mobile phone and tied to their service plans, it would be difficult for new entrant to penetrate into the market as they would need to come out with a large sum of money for set up as well as to compete with existing competitors in price, quality and services. As such, the threat of new entrant to major players such as SingTel and StarHub is low (Point-Topic, 2009). 2.3.5 Threat of Substitute Products or Services Our team infer that there are currently no close substitutes in other industry since the Singapore infocomm industry is constantly keeping up with new technology and infrastructure it would be hard for other industries to come out with substitute products or services. As such, the threat of substitute products or services to the major infocomm companies is also minimal. 2.4 Forecast for Info Communication Industry It is expected that the info communication industry will maintain its performance in this economic slowdown. The defensive industry as a whole remains stable and continues to grow even at times of economic slowdown which is an appealing choice for investor. Thus we have grounds to believe that revenue for infocomm industry will sustain and that the industry will achieve a stronger grow to be in line or even go beyond the forecasted growth of the general economy for 2010 (IDA, 2008a). 3. COMPANY ANALYSIS REFERENCES Bloomberg. (2009). Singapore, in recession, ends currency gain policy (update2). Retrieved December 19, 2009, from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087sid=a0P7GXmf4hEsrefer=home Borhan. H . (2009). Islands of optimism. Retrieved December 20, 2009 from http://www.iesingapore.gov.sg/wps/portal/WCMPreview?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/My+Portal/Main/Past+Events/Islands+of+optimism Business Wire. (2009, August 12). Research and markets: Singapore key statistics, telecom market and regulatory overviews. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from LexisNexis Academic database. BuySingapore. (n.d.). Singapores infocomm technology (ict) industry. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.buysingapore.com/InfoComTechnology.aspx Channel News Asia. (2009a). Singapore will maintain policy of steady dollar. Retrieved December 18, 2009, from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1010760/1/.html Channel News Asia. (2009b). Singapore inflation rate hits new 26-year high of 7.5% in April. Retrieved December 18, 2009 from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/349581/1/.html Choudhury, A. R. (2009). Singapores fixed broadband subscriber base to cross 1m. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://a1preview.asia1.com.sg:90/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ae8f219aeaf63210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRDvgnextchannel=802a67c086322110VgnVCM100000bd0a0a0aRCRD Government of Singapore (2009). Time series on cpi (2004=100) inflation rate. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/economy/hist/cpi.html IDA. (2008a). Performance of the infocomm industry. Annual survey on infocomm industry for 2008, (p. 7). Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Publications/Publications_Level2/20061205092557/ASInfocommIndustry08.pdf IDA. (2008b). Performance of the infocomm industry. Annual survey on infocomm industry for 2008, (p. 8). Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Publications/Publications_Level2/20061205092557/ASInfocommIndustry08.pdf IDA. (2008c). Performance of the infocomm industry. Annual survey on infocomm industry for 2008, (p. 9). Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Publications/Publications_Level2/20061205092557/ASInfocommIndustry08.pdf IDA. (2009a). Overview. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/Infocomm%20Industry/20060406160952.aspx IDA. (2009b). Internationalisation. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/Infocomm%20Industry/20060418122545.aspx IDA. (2009c). Singapore government continues to invest in infocomm. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20050713151856.aspx?getPagetype=20 IDA. (2009d). Public service infocomm exports receive stronger push. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20090615154025.aspx?getPagetype=20 IDA. (2009e). Consumers to benefit from new guidelines on telecommunication services. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20091215141259.aspx?getPagetype=20 IR Market Research Corp. (2009). 4Q09 Singapore mobile operator forecast, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009, from http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?productid=2495384 IRAS. (2009). Overview of Tax Changes Announced in Budget 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009 from http://www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page.aspx?id=7906 JakartaGlobe. (2009). Singapore expects growth, but asset bubbles a worry. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://thejakartaglobe.com/business/singapore-expects-growth-but-asset-bubbles-a-worry/342607 MAS. (2009). Recent Economic Developments in Singapore. Retrieved December 20, 2009, from http://www.mas.gov.sg/resource/eco_research/eco_dev_ana/Recent_Economic_Developments.pdf MNEWSP. (2009, September 2). Singapore fund third quarter earnings. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from Factiva database. MSN. (2009). Singtel wins epl rights. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://sports.sg.msn.com/commented/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3616738ucpg=4 Paul Budde Communication. (2009a). Singapore telecommunications infrastructure. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?cat_id=330report_id=223874q=Starhubp=1 Paul Budde Communication. (2009b). Singapore telecoms, mobile and broadband. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?cat_id=330report_id=838318q=Starhubp=1 Point-Topic. (2009). Singapore broadband overview. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://point-topic.com/content/operatorSource/profiles2/singapore-broadband-overview.htm Reuters. (2009a). Update 1-singapore lifts inflation view, sees modest 2010 growth. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/markets/100202930-1-update-1-singapore-lifts-inflation-view%252C.html Reuters. (2009b). Singapore lifts inflation view, sees modest 2010 growth. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/business/43905-singapore-lifts-inflation-view-sees-modest-2010-growth Reuters. (2009c). Singapore forecasts 2010 GDP to rise 3 to 5 per cent. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20091119-180874.html StarHub. (2009). Home hubbing pack lite at $41.73 per month. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from http://www.starhub.com/promotions/hubbing/97569.html